The Ring of Gyges
by EmMarie96
Summary: Ena Collins is chosen to go on an ancient quest, to recover the Ring of Gyges. With Leo Valdez and Percy Jackson as her companions, what could go wrong? Read on to find out! "Journey south and help the weak, In a muddy swamp with no sun. Darkness envelopes those who cannot see, The Ring appears only to one..." Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**Wow! There was a lot of interest, so due to popular demand, here is the story of Ena, Leo, and Percy's quest! **

**This first chapter has a lot of history, but you need to read it all so you'll understand the rest of the story, I hope it doesn't bore you!**

**And now, without further ado, I present to you: **

_**The Ring of Gyges**_

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It was time for the drawing.

Ena Echo Collins was standing excitedly in front of the Big House in the midst of a crowd of about 25 other demigods. Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Nico DiAngelo, Katie Gardner, Clarisse LaRue, Michael Yew, and the rest of the Head Counselors were there, waiting for Chiron to come out and pick a name out of the bowl.

Hanging from the porch was a banner with a copy the ancient prophecy the drawing was based on; the prophecy that so many demigods before them had pinned their hopes of glory on. The actual parchment with the original prophecy was lying on the table next to the bowl of names:

_**Journey south and help the weak**_

_**In a muddy swamp with no sun.**_

_**Darkness envelopes those who cannot see- the ring appears only to one. **_

_**To rescue from darkness, when the curse is undone,**_

_**And once you've succeeded**_

_**You'll find your journey has only begun.**_

The prophecy was so vague, that every 50 to 100 years, Chiron had issued the quest to the head of a cabin, in a desperate attempt to find the hero of the prophecy.

Others had volunteered to go on the seemingly impossible quest, but each demigod returned empty-handed. Some had thought that the line defining the hero of the prophecy was up for interpretation, but, well, the ring hadn't appeared to Daniel One of the Apollo cabin either.

The Ring of Gyges was the long-lost item the quest was about; the quest was to recover the ancient treasure. The ring belonged to Gyges of Lydia, thousands of years ago. The ring could render the wearer invisible, but with great power comes great responsibility, and Gyges misused his power. After Gyges used the ring to seduce the Queen of Lydia, and the two of them murdered her husband, Gyges became the king of Lydia.

After the ring was used for evil, it was said to be cursed. King Gyges's reign was an unhappy one, full of plague and famine, and the gods scorned him, especially Apollo and Demeter. Demeter banished him and his kingdom to Lake Copais, a desolate Grecian Valley, and Apollo refused to fly the sun over his kingdom. Since there was no sun, it is said that the residents of the Copais valley became sickly and frail. Gyges ruled over the destitute Copais Valley until his death, and then the valley and it's lake sank into the earth. The god Pan took pity on the sinking population and turned the dying people into woodland spirits.

It was said that Gyges passed the ring to his son, Croesus, who was given permission by the gods to return to Lydia and rule over the kingdom there. Unfortunately, after Croesus died, nobody knew what happened to the ring.

The cursed ring had been long-sought after, ever since the Oracle at Delphi had issued the prophecy hundreds of years ago.

Ena stood on tiptoe to see over the heads of the crowd. She wanted to get a better look at the parchment with the prophecy. The scroll was decorated with a fire and waves pattern, and at the bottom was a stamp that looked like a moon and star combined. Ena thought it looked very mysterious.

"Thank you all for coming," Chiron said, stepping out of the Big House as the crowd gave a polite round of applause. "Let's not delay. You all know what we're here for, and I wish you all the best of luck!"

Chiron stepped up to the bowl and stuck his hand inside, swirling the papers with the Head Counselors' names on them around for a few tantalizing moments, until finally he plucked a single paper from the bowl.

Chiron unfolded it slowly, and a big smile spread across his face. He cleared his throat before announcing loudly, "Ena Collins!"

Ena's jaw dropped, and she felt several pairs of hands clap her on the back as they pushed her towards the front.

"Ah, this is your first quest, isn't it?" Chiron asked when she was standing beside him. Ena couldn't speak, so she just nodded. "Well, I wish you the best of luck. We all hope you'll succeed!"

Ena managed a smile. "I'll do my best, sir."

"I know, child," he said kindly. "Now, which two demigods will you choose to accompany you?"

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**A/N**

**Well, there's the first chapter! I have another story, Camp Half-Blood Oneshots, so those stories may be abandoned for a while! Next week I'll probably update that story, and then the week after you'll get chapter two of this story.:) Unless this story becomes more popular, then I may suspend CHB Onshots indefinetely to focus on this one.**

**I hope you enjoyed it!:) Please review!**

**Xoxoxo,**

**EmMarie**


	2. Chapter 2

"Really?" Mitchell asked Ena in amazement. "You really want us to come with you?"

"Definitely," Ena nodded emphatically. "You two are my best friends, I wouldn't have it any otter way!"

"Well, I for one would love to go!" Lacy squealed, jumping up and down and clapping. She stopped abruptly and smoothed down her skirt. "Now, what's the quest about?"

Only the head Counselors at camp had ever seen the prophecy, so Ena started to recite it to her two friends, "Journey south and help the weak, in a muddy swamp with no sun. Darkness envelopes those-"

"Woah, hold up sweetheart," Mitchell interrupted, giving her a skeptic look. "What was that about a muddy swamp?"

"Oh, uh, I guess that's where the quest is," Ena answered, taken aback.

"Well... No offense," Lacy started, sharing a look with Mitchell. "But yuck. _Ew. _Nasty. I'm out!"

"What?" Ena sputtered. "Because of the mud?"

The children of Aphrodite squirmed.

"Yeah, sorry Ena," Mitchell apologized. "You're, like, my best friend and all, but I'm out too."

Ena's face fell. "Really, guys? But you were my first choices!"

Lacy gave her a pitying look. "Sorry, darling, but not this quest. Maybe we'll catch the next one, hopefully with a line about hot guys on a tropical beach."

Ena tried not to pout, but the disappointment showed on her face.

"Sorry, we just can't," Mitchell said firmly. "But you have to leave soon, right?"

Ena nodded, and her friend's faces brightened.

"So, while you're looking for new quest companions, we can get stuff ready for your journey!" Lacy announced.

"Yeah," Mitchell put in. "We'll get you some cute waterproof/fireproof backpacks, the Aphrodite cabin has a ton of them! We'll fill 'em up with food and extra clothes and emergency supplies- like perfume, for when the swamp smell gets overwhelming."

"Monsters totally hate the smell of Givenchy," Lacy said in a singsong voice. "But the best thing about the backpacks is they're magic items in themselves; they have undetectable expansion charms on them so they look and feel small, but inside they're huge! You could probably even fit a full-sized tent in one."

Her friends looked at her hopefully, trying to make up for their lack of loyalty.

Ena relented, and gave them each a hug.

"That'd be great, guys, thanks so much!" she exclaimed, her feelings of abandonment ebbing away. "Well, I guess I better go talk to some more people. I'll see you soon!"

"Bye!"

Ena walked away and headed straight for the Hephaestus cabin.

She immediately saw Leo standing outside of the cabin, hammering a sword on an anvil.

"Leo!" She exclaimed, running over and tapping him on the shoulder.

"Ena!" Leo said happily, putting his mallet down and giving her a hug. "Congratulations! I heard about your quest."

"Thanks," she said, returning the hug tightly. "But that's why I'm here. Will you come on the quest with me?"

Leo looked taken aback. "What? Me? But you always said Mitchell and Lacy were your first choices."

Ena shrugged. "There's a line in the prophecy about a muddy swamp."

Leo grinned. "Ah, and they didn't want to get their Coach purses dirty?" he guessed teasingly. "Well of course I'll go with you!"

It was Ena's turn to grin, and she stood on her tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek. "I love you, Leo!" She exclaimed. The two of them had been dating for almost a year, and she knew he wouldn't let her down.

"Don't mention it," he said, waving her gratitude away gallantly. "But who are you going to ask to complete our trio? You have to have three people in a quest."

Ena bit her lip. "I'm not sure. I guess I want someone with quest experience. Someone who'll know what they're doing, and preferably a good fighter, just in case. And they have to be nice," she added as an afterthought."

"Who has to be nice?" A voice said behind them. The two spun around to face none other than Percy Jackson.

"Oh, hi Percy!" Ena said. "We were just talking about my quest."

"I bet you were," Percy smiled. "I've been looking for you. I just wanted to say congratulations! Your first quest is always scary, but I know you'll do great. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help before you go."

Ena raised her eyebrows questioningly at Leo, who nodded.

"Well, actually," Ena started hesitantly, "I had two people I wanted to go on the quest with me, but they dropped out. Now, Leo's agreed to come, but I'm short one member. I don't have any experience with this stuff, and I'd like it if someone who _did _could go with me...?" She trailed off, looking at Percy hopefully.

Percy's mouth fell open slightly. "Oh," he said, obviously caught off-guard. "I don't know- I mean, are you sure you want me?"

Ena nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, please, it'd be nice to have a real hero on the quest!" She stated, ignoring Leo's indignant expression.

Percy still looked apprehensive. "But I don't want to, you know, take any of the spotlight away from you," he explained modestly.

"But you won't," Ena assured him. "I'll still be the leader, but I'd feel a lot better if you came with us. Please?"

Percy exhaled a puff of air, shifting side to side on his heels. "Alright," he said, smiling, after a moment. "I'll go with you guys. I'll help you find the Ring of Gyges."

Ena grinned. "Group hug!" She exclaimed, pulling both boys towards her. The guys exchanged a bemused glance, but returned the hug to make Ena happy.

"So, what's our team name?" Leo asked after they all pulled away. "Leo and the Heroes?"

Ena rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

"I'd prefer The Percy Pack," Percy put in jokingly.

Ena giggled. "No, we're going to be Team Element!" she announced.

The other two teens gave her a strange look.

"You know," she explained patiently. "Leo, you can do fire, Percy, you can control water, and I can control light!"

Leo nodded approvingly.

"I like it," Percy affirmed. "Team Element it is."

"So, since we only have a week to do what no one else had done before," Ena said, "We should get going! Mitchell and Lacy should have our stuff ready by now. Let's go get it, and we can head out."

Leo took a deep breath. "Team Element, away!"

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**A/N**

**There's chapter 2! The real quest should start in the next chapter:) I hope you all like it so far! Please review!**

**I have a lot of school work and real work to do this week, so neither one of my stories may get updated next week, sorry!:( If I can scrape together some time, it'll be Camp Half-Blood Oneshots that gets updated, though.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading!:) Hope you all had a great holiday!:)**

**Xoxoxo,**

**EmMarie**


	3. Chapter 3

After being given some money from the camp account to fund their quest, they said goodbye to their friends and family. They quickly retrieved their nicely packed backpacks from Mitchell and Lacy, then Ena, Leo, and Percy set off.

"So, Captain," Leo said to Ena as they walked away from Camp Half-Blood. "What's the plan?"

"Well," Ena said hesitantly, "like the prophecy said, we have to go south. So, I guess we can start by following the road and going south?"

Percy raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Leo was secretly surprised by the lack of planning, but also kept quiet.

Instead, he nodded. "Sounds good, Echo."

Ena smiled, her confidence boosted a little, and started walking a few paces ahead of the boys.

After walking several miles and reaching the small town closest to camp, Percy and Leo were getting a little restless.

"Dude, how far are we going to walk?" Leo muttered to Percy, who shrugged.

"I dunno. The quest really _is_ vague. But we can't walk all the way south, wherever that may be," Percy pointed out. "I don't wanna be a buzzkill to Ena, and since she's your girlfriend, why don't _you _suggest that we need an alternate means of transportation?" Percy said diplomatically.

Leo nodded, letting his eyes wander around the quiet town. Suddenly, his face lit up, and he quickened his pace to catch up with Ena.

"Hey, Ena!" Leo called out, causing her to slow down and glance over her shoulder.

"What's up?" she asked, still in good spirits.

"Well, I was thinking," Leo said carefully. "We can't just keep walking like this; the Copais Valley might be really far away. So, guess what I saw?"

"What?" Ena asked excitedly.

Leo grinned. "A junkyard."

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They had, in fact, passed several junkyards. Normally, that wouldn't be of any significance, but Leo had seen several rusty cars tucked away amongst the trash.

The three heroes started their search through heap after heap of scrap metal and broken plastic.

"What about this one, Leo?" Percy called out for the sixth time, peering under the hood of a battered twenty-year-old sedan.

Leo came over to check it out, and shook his head after only a glance.

"Nope, the alternator's rusted through and the timing belt is totally busted," he sighed.

"How 'bout over here?" Ena called, for the first time.

Leo smiled ironically, thinking that Ena would have found the most broken-down vehicle in the whole yard, but his jaw dropped when he found her standing by a decent-looking pickup truck, staring intently into the engine compartment. The truck was red, with a major dent in the passenger side door, which probably explained why it was at the junkyard, but other than that it looked to be in good condition and couldn't have been any more than ten years old.

He registered his surprise for the second time when he glanced under the vehicle's hood.

"It looks good to me, I guess!" Ena announced, looking at Leo for confirmation. "I don't see any rust. Can you fix it up enough for us to drive it?"

Leo answered her with a kiss.

"Are you kidding? This is perfect!" he exclaimed, running his hands over the engine. "Why someone would throw a perfectly good car out, I have no idea! Well, aside from the fact that there's no battery, but I can get one from one of the other cars. I saw a few that weren't too badly corroded. I might have to tweak the distributor, and fix up the crankshaft, but I'll have this baby going in no time!"

"l have no idea what you just said, but yay!" Ena said, grinning. "What can I do to help?"

For the next hour, Leo worked on the engine using tools from his magic tool belt while Percy snuck into the junkyard's office and found the keys for the truck. Ena ran around the junkyard looking for the parts Leo needed, and somehow, she found everything. Before noon, the truck roared to life.

"Nice job, man!" Percy said, giving Leo an appreciative high-five.

Leo grinned and wiped an oil spot off the now-shiny hood with a rag.

"All in a day's work! But the passenger door doesn't open, we'll have to climb in through the window," Leo said apologetically. "I could fix it if you wanted to wait a while longer, but all things considered, I thought we should get on the road."

"Right," Percy nodded. "So, you're up, Ena!" he said, tossing the keys through the air to her.

Ena caught them and immediately tossed them back.

Percy fumbled and almost dropped them, but managed the keep his grip.

"Don't you want to drive?" He asked confusedly. "I thought you just turned sixteen and got your license."

"Oh, uh, I got my permit... Barely," she mumbled. "But I don't really... I mean, I can't..." She trailed off embarrassedly.

"No problem, I'll drive," Percy said, saving her the explanation. "Someone has to ride in the back, and someone can sit shotgun. Uh, crawl in, I guess," Percy said, indicating the open passenger door window and sliding into the driver's seat.

Ena called dibs on the front, and Leo clambered over the seats to sit in the back.

Percy shifted into gear once everyone was buckled in, and pulled out of the junkyard.

"So, are we just going to drive?" Percy asked Ena, glancing at Leo in the slightly cracked rearview mirror.

Ena bit her lip. "Guys, I know I don't have a good plan, but I don't know what else to do but follow the road and go south like the prophecy says. I know you're probably disappointed that I don't know what I'm doing. In all likelihood, we're going to fail, just like everyone else," she said despairingly.

Leo reached across from the backseat to squeeze Ena on the shoulder, and Percy shook his head.

"I'll admit, we _were_ a little surprised, but not disappointed," Percy said. "But we're only going to fail if we _think_ we're going to fail. _I_ think we can do it, don't you, Leo?" Percy said, turning to give his friend a pointed look.

Leo nodded firmly. "Definitely. Ena, we got your back. I think- no, I _know_ we can do this. We're going to make history and get that ring back!"

Ena smiled, and the tears that had started to form disappeared.

"Thanks," she said, her face brightening. "I knew I wanted you two with me for a reason!"

"You mean it didn't have anything to do with the fact that I fixed the radio?" Leo winked, reaching across the seat again and flipping a switch. Immediately, an upbeat tune came through the speakers.

_"I want, I want, I want, but that's crazy! I want, I want, I want, but that's not me! I want, I want, I want, to be loved by you!"_

Percy groaned loudly and looked as if he wanted to bang his head on the steering wheel. He rolled his eyes and made to change the station.

"No, I like this song!" Leo said, jumping up and smacking Percy's hand away from the radio dial.

Percy looked at him in shock, and stared with his mouth open.

Leo blushed bright red.

"Uh, I was kidding, dude," he said in a macho voice, trying to write it off. "Completely kidding. One Direction is _totally_ lame. Harry sucks, and Zayn's hair is so dumb. I won't even start on Niall, Louis, or Liam's voices. I mean, who cares what makes me beautiful?"

Percy gave Leo another strange look and slowly and deliberately changed the station.

Leo coughed awkwardly and sat back down in his seat. He didn't speak for the next fifteen minutes, which Percy and Ena thought was some kind of record. They stopped for gas and used the camp's money to pay for it, then got back on the road.

After a couple of hours on the highway, Percy put his turn signal on and steered towards an exit.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Ena asked confusedly. "Follow the road!"

"I _am_ following the road," Percy pointed out. "If we want to go south, near Texas, we have to-"

"Don't get off here!" Ena exclaimed urgently, reaching over and jerking the steering wheel so they careened back onto the highway.

Tires squealed and horns honked behind them, and the old truck shuddered and slid across two lanes before Percy got it back under control. He narrowly avoided a collision with an eighteen-wheeler in the next lane, then exhaled deeply.

"What the heck was that about?" Leo burst out, gripping the edge of his seat.

Ena had a hand on her chest, breathing deeply. "S-sorry, guys, but I didn't want us to get off track," she explained.

Percy was still a little shaken, and was gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. "What are you talking about?"

Ena gave him a confused look. "The trail we've been following since we left Camp!" she said, as if it were obvious.

"The... Trail?" Leo asked, totally lost.

"Yes!" Ena insisted. "_That_ trail!" she said, pointing at the unremarkable highway.

Her demigod companions craned their necks to see over the dashboard and look at the asphalt, but saw nothing unusual.

"Echo, sweetheart," Leo said carefully. "Uh, there's nothing there."

"Yes there is!" Ena insisted again. "It's pretty, like a fiery star-filled ocean! We've been following it this whole time, I just assumed you two could see it too..." She trailed off as if she had a sudden realization.

"Ena?" Leo said, waving his hand near her face.

_"Ah!" _She burst out excitedly, causing Percy and Leo to flinch at the high pitch. "Guys! What if this is from the prophecy? The ring appears only to one?"

Percy cocked his head to the side. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"And the trail is like the patterns that were on the prophecy scroll!" She continued unrestrainedly. "What if this is_ it_?"

"I think we're on to something," Leo said eagerly. "This has_ got _to be it!"

"So, Ena, if you're the only one who can see the trail, don't you think you should drive?" Percy reasoned.

A shadow crossed Ena's face. "You were doing fine before, Percy!" she said quickly. "I think we'll be okay."

"But what if I try and make a wrong turn again?" Percy said pointedly. "That was bad."

"I'll just sit here and give you directions!" she said pleadingly, and Percy could hear the stress in her voice.

"Is it... I mean, are you afraid of driving?" Percy asked out of curiosity.

Ena's mouth snapped shut and she stared at the floorboard.

"It's okay if you are," Percy said hurriedly. "You can just say so, I won't make you drive."

Ena looked up at him. "Yes, I'm afraid of driving," she said quietly. "Don't ask me why. I'm just not very good at it, and the cars are going so fast and all the signs are distracting and you have to keep your eye on the speed thingy the whole time and you have to check the mirrors and make decisions and when it rains I can't find the swipey things and-"

"Hey, no problem," Percy cut her off with a laugh. "You just need practice. When we get back, Leo and I'll give you some lessons."

Ena brightened again. "Thanks. Anyway, the last thing we need is for me to get us in a wreck! For now, just drive down this highway, it doesn't look like we'll be taking any exits anytime soon."

They seemed to be going twice as far as they'd normally get, because by six o'clock they were in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It looked like the trail was leading them towards Louisiana, because they were following all the road signs pointing to Baton Rogue.

By eight o'clock, Percy had parked the truck right outside the Harvey Tunnel in the south tip of Louisiana.

"You know, I'm probably just imagining things," Leo said, climbing out from the backseat, "but I think I can see the trail, too."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Ena said. "Now, it's hard to ignore. I think we're at the end."

"Forward, then," Percy said, indicating the mouth of the tunnel.

They hugged the wall, trying to keep out of the way on oncoming traffic, with Ena leading the way, until they came to a door in the side of the tunnel. It was obscured and easy to miss by any passerby, but it was plain to see to the three demigods standing before it.

"Look at that!" Ena said excitedly, pointing to the symbols carved above the door. There were the same fire, wave, and star pattern that was on the scroll.

Leo grinned. "I guess this is it," he said, pulling on the door handle.

He pulled harder when it stubbornly wouldn't budge.

"Percy, help me out here," Leo said, ushering Percy over. Together, the two boys pulled as hard as they could, but the door remained shut.

"So what, we can't even get in?" Leo said exasperatedly, kicking the door in frustration.

A panel of the door fell away where he kicked, and a small scroll rolled out. Ena snatched it up before it rolled into the highway.

"What's it say?" Percy asked eagerly.

Ena cleared her throat and read out loud:

_On the Doors of Darkness you have knocked,_

_The valley you seek is near._

_The answer is plain, to have me unlocked,_

_Push open, and enter to fear._

Ena looked up at the boys.

"Guys, seriously?" she said, reaching out to the door. She pushed gently, and it swung open inwards, revealing a pitch-black opening. "You didn't try pushing it?"

"I just assumed you'd have to pull," Leo said indignantly, while Ena snickered at him. "We would've tried pushing it eventually!"

Percy looked a little abashed too, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Nice job, Ena. But, 'enter to fear?'"

Ena shrugged. "We'll never know unless we go, right?" she said, taking a deep breath and stepping through the dark doorway. The other two demigods followed quickly

Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind them, leaving the heroes in complete darkness.

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**A/N**

**Annddd, end chapter 3! Hope you liked it!:) Please review, it only takes a second!**

**To MysteryPerson, though you probably won't see, I don't think you're a bad person:) it was all just a misunderstanding! **

**Anyway, thank you all for reading!:) I hope to update soon! (In the meantime, check out some of my other stories!:) )**

**Xoxoxo,**

**EmMarie**


	4. Chapter 4

Leo gasped, loudly.

"Guys?" He spoke into the darkness, groping blindly through the air. "Where are you?"

His hand smacked something soft.

"_Ow! _Leo, you just hit me in the face," Percy complained. "Stay calm. Can't you make some fire so we can see where we are?"

Leo concentrated for a moment, then said in a panicky voice, "No! My fire isn't working!"

"Are you sure?" Ena asked concernedly. "Try again!"

Leo did as she asked, focusing harder. A tiny spark appeared for a moment, then flickered out.

"It's no use," Leo announced, not staying calm. "We're doomed!"

"We're _not _doomed," Percy scolded, though he wasn't feeling particularly calm either.

"You know I can see, right guys?" Ena spoke up. "Leo, stop crying."

"What?" Percy asked in amazement.

"Yeah, I'm a daughter of Nyx," Ena explained, while Leo hastily wiped away a tear and tried to look manly. "I can see in the dark."

"Well, we can't see a thing," Percy informed her. "We're going to have to work something out."

"Here, I've got some rope in my backpack," Leo offered, setting his backpack down and grasping for the zipper. He felt the rough rope and pulled it out.

"We'll all hold on to it, with Ena leading the way," Leo suggested, blindly tying three knots in the rope. "That way we can stay together."

"Good idea, Leo," Percy said appreciatively, taking hold of his section of rope.

"Which way?" Ena asked once they were all holding the rope, then caught herself when she saw the annoyed expressions on her companions' faces. "Uh, I mean, this way, boys."

Ena tried to lead them, and give them a heads up whenever they were going uphill or stepping over a rock, but she kept forgetting that her companions couldn't see. Every time she failed to alert them to obstacles, she felt a heavy yank on the rope as a demigod fell, and she heard muttered curses.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, when Percy went down for the fourth time.

"I hate this," Leo grumbled, reaching a hand out through the darkness to help Percy out of the mud. He realized that Percy couldn't see what he was doing, so instead he reached out and pulled Percy up by his collar.

"Thanks," Percy mumbled, then to Ena he said, "It's okay, but try leading us somewhere with less rocks."

"Okay," Ena agreed. "Is it still pitch black for you guys? I think it's a little lighter over there," she pointed to a spot a few hundred yards away, where a rushing, crashing sound was coming from.

"Either my eyes are adjusting, or it's getting lighter," Leo agreed. "I can see some reeds and grass and stuff."

"Me too," Percy said. "I can see a bunch of trees, too. But do you guys hear that noise?"

"The one that sounds like running water?" Ena asked.

"That too, but do you hear the other noise?" Percy continued. "It's like whispering, listen closely."

The trio stopped walking for a moment to silence the muddy squishing sounds and stood completely still, straining their ears. Leo and Ena's eyes widened when the sound reached them. It was just like Percy had described; whispering voices, except he failed to add that there was an eerie scraping undertone.

Ena shivered. "That's _way _creepy. Come on, I don't want to stay in one place too long."

The heroes continued walking towards the sound of water, and the dim source of light.

By the time they reached a cliff, they saw the source of brightness: a red moon was shining down through the trees, whereas it had been obscured by clouds moments ago.

It was bright enough now that they didn't need to walk with the rope, so Leo stowed it in his backpack. They walked to the edge of the cliff to take in their surroundings, and the sound of rushing water roared in their ears.

Leo shuddered as an evil gurgling laugh floated up to them. Ena laced her fingers through his, trying to give them both courage.

"What's in there?" Leo asked, turning to Percy, who peered over the edge.

"I'd guess some sort of river spirits," Percy said apprehensively. "But they don't seem friendly," he remarked as a pair of menacing glowing eyes appeared for a moment and and another sinister gurgling laugh floated up. "Let's try and avoid them."

"I don't like this," Ena said uneasily, backing away from the edge.

Suddenly the forest shifted, and a strong wind shook the earth. The cliff gave way beneath them, and all three heroes plunged into the churning waters below.

The current was so strong, and the force so intense that even Percy struggled to stay upright. Whatever force in this dark place that was surpressing their powers, it made it difficult for Percy to control the water. Leo and Ena helplessly tumbled over and over in the swirling current, and neither of them could push off the bottom or kick to the surface.

They could feel the sharp, watery claws of the dark river spirits scratching and poking at their skin, and eerie sapphire eyes swirled around them. Hands grabbed and pulled at the struggling demigods, preventing them from escaping their watery prison.

Leo and Ena scraped and crashed across the rocky bottom as Percy finally managed to control the river. He shot himself up above the violently flowing waters on a miniature whirlpool and frantically scanned the surface for any sign of Leo or Ena. The darkness made it difficult, and he had to strain his eyes to even make out the water.

He saw a human hand break the surface for a moment, then it disappeared just as quickly. Percy rushed over on his whirlpool and dived into the river. He saw Leo, so he grabbed him beneath his arms and hauled him out of the water, quickly dragging him onto the bank.

Percy dove back into the rushing water and resumed his frantic search. Finally, he saw Ena, and he quickly scooped her up and shot out of the black water, as the river spirit's hands made desperate swipes at them, trying to keep them trapped.

Leo was coughing and retching onshore as Percy gently laid Ena down on the grass. She wasn't breathing, so Percy quickly guided the water out of her lungs and tossed it away. Ena responded immediately, sitting upright and coughing, and Percy sighed with relief.

Through the dim light, he saw Leo now kneeling on his hands and knees, shivering violently. His breathing hadn't quite evened out, and a few gasps escaped his lips every few seconds.

He turned back to Ena and saw tears spilling down her face.

"I c-can't s-swim!" she burst out, obviously scared out of her mind. Leo looked just as terrified, and he was bleeding from a long scratch on his cheek.

Percy's eyes softened, and he realized that he was going to have to be the one to hold the team together. He was going to have to be the glue- again. Taking charge would come naturally to him in this situation; after all, he was the oldest.

"_Hey_, hey guys," Percy said, pulling them both towards him so he could put an arm around each shivering demigod. "It's okay._ You're _okay, we're _all _okay. It's just water, and I know it's dark, but we just have to stay together._ I'm _not leaving, _nobody's_ leaving. We'll be_ fine_."

Leo still looked pretty shaken, and Ena was still crying.

"Deep breaths guys, calm down," Percy said soothingly.

The younger teens tried to do as he said, and after a few minutes they had both calmed down.

"Let's find somewhere to rest a while," Percy suggested, once Ena had stopped sniffling. "Our backpacks should be around here somewhere, I'll go find them and we can set up camp someplace dry."

Percy rose, feeling a little uneasy about leaving the shivering, wet group, but walked along the riverbank to find their supplies.

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**A/N**

**Hey! Ooh, scary! D: I hope you all liked this chapter:) Sorry if you found it a little short, I've just got so many ideas whirling around my brain and so little time to get them all down:( so, I promise the next update will be a little longer! More stuff will happen soon, get ready for a little crazy!;)**

**Please review, it'll only take a minute:)**

**Thanks so much for reading!:)**

**Xoxoxo,**

**EmMarie**


	5. Chapter 5

The faint light had grown brighter, and the group set up camp for the night under its glow. Thanks to Mitchell and Lacy, they had sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and ingredients for s'mores.

"So, do you think the ring is actually here?" Leo asked Ena, as he polished off his fourth s'more.

"I think so," Ena said, looking thoughtful. "I mean, I've had kind of a weird feeling since we got here. Not just a creeped out feeling, with the trees and the river, but a different feeling. It's like it's close by, but it's just hidden out of sight."

"We'll find it," Percy said confidently. He'd been trying to lift their spirits and be positive since they'd gotten out of the river, and it seemed to be working. "Let's try and get a little sleep for now. I'll take the first watch, you're both probably exhausted."

Neither of them argued, and soon they both were curled up and sleeping peacefully.

Percy drew Riptide and leaned up against a boulder. He brought his knees to his chest and balanced his sword on them, keeping his hand tightly on the hilt.

He'd never admit it, but this place creeped him out more than anywhere he'd been to, which was saying a lot. He'd been to the Underworld, and even Tartarus, but he almost felt he'd rather be there than here. This was all foreign to him, and putting on a brave face for Team Element was harder than it seemed.

Percy kept a close eye on the nearby forest, looking for any sign of movement. His watch was uneventful, though, and Leo soon woke up for his turn.

"What time do you think it is?" Percy asked Leo when they switched places.

Leo brought his wrist up to glance at his watch.

"Holy cow, what day did we leave?" Leo exclaimed. "Please tell me it was Wednesday."

"We got to Louisiana late on Monday night," Percy said confusedly. "Why? It's probably really early Tuesday morning, isn't it?"

"No," Leo said shakily, turning his light-up watch so Percy could read the date. "It's four o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday."

In the dim light, Leo could see Percy's face pale.

"Then we have to get moving," Percy said. "If time passes faster here, we have to find the ring as soon as possible. We only have a week!"

"_Had _a week," Leo corrected. "Now, we've got about four days."

Percy cursed in Ancient Greek, then rushed to start packing their campsite up.

"Hey, Ena, sweetheart," Leo said softly, shaking Ena gently by the shoulders. "Come on, time to get moving."

"Already?" Ena asked sleepily. "But I just laid down."

"We need to hurry," Leo said. "We've got to find that ring quickly. It's Thursday."

Ena sat bolt upright. "Oh, gods. We're doomed."

"We're_ not _doomed," Percy reminded her, as he stuffed a sleeping back into his magical backpack. "We just have to manage our time a little better from now on. We'll be alright."

The trio packed the rest of their bags, then turned to Ena.

"Which way?" Leo asked.

"Just follow me, I'm getting a good feeling about the forest," Ena said confidently, turning to the sinister-looking trees.

Percy bit his lip skeptically, but followed without complaint, bringing up the rear.

The group walked through the mud, their shoes making squelching sounds with each step, until they entered the forest. The earth was covered in dry, brittle, dead grass, which pricked at their ankles, sending shivers up their spines.

"_Warriors_," a dry, cracked voice whispered, and Team Element froze.

Ena reached for Leo's hand.

"What was that?" she asked frantically, her voice catching in her throat. She was hating this place more and more._ Why did everything have to talk?_

"I don't know," Leo said, struggling to remain calm. "It came from over there."

"_Warriors_," a different brittle voice came.

Percy drew his sword.

"I-" Percy started, but his voice came out an octave higher than normal. He cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go see what that was."

Ena grabbed for his hand and held it tightly.

"Don't go, that's dangerous," she pleaded. "We should really stay together."

Percy looked relieved, and stepped back towards the other two demigods.

"You're right, we're going to have to stay together if we want to get that ring," he nodded.

Suddenly, a loud crack sounded through the forest, and a large oak started falling straight towards them.

Leo pushed Ena out of danger and jumped backwards, Percy at his side. The two boys rolled on the ground and just barely made it out of the way.

"You okay?" Ena called worriedly. The tree was so thick around, she couldn't see her companions over the side of it.

"We're fine," Leo called. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay."

"Hold on, we're coming back over," Percy said.

The sky darkened again

"_Warriors_," the dry, weak voices chanted.

"_Ena_!" she heard Leo yell. He sounded afraid. She couldn't tell where any of the voices were coming from, and she frantically tried to see over the fallen tree.

"Leo!" she called. "Where are you?"

A sharp crack, and Leo cried out. Another sharp crack, then a dull thud.

"We'll be fine!" she heard Percy shout back, his voice sounding strangled. "Just find the ri-"

His words were abruptly cut off.

"Percy!" she screamed, but there was no reply.

"_Leo_!" she yelled again.

Still there was silence.

Ena pulled herself over the fallen tree and slid down the other side, looking for any sign of her companions. She found nothing.

The sudden realization hit her, and she gasped into the darkness.

She was alone.

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**A/N**

**Ooh, scary again! Haha, sorry for the long wait for the update, I've been working other stories! **

**Anyway, hope you liked it:) Please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Xoxoxo,**

**EmMarie**


	6. Chapter 6

Ena wanted to give up.

She had been afraid of going on the quest at all, and now her worst fears had come true. She was _alone._

She wanted more than anything to be at home, snuggling with her adorable gray, spotted and striped tabby cat, Tigger, watching a musical. She didn't want to be close to tears, leaning against a fallen tree, and wondering what had happened to her friends.

There was no sign of Percy or Leo. Their backpacks were gone, and there was not a footprint to be seen.

Ena couldn't help it when a tear fell down her cheek. She impatiently brushed it away, but more fell after it.

This wasn't fair.

Suddenly, a soft breeze came from out of nowhere. Unlike the other forces that came from the valley, this wind was gentle, and with it came a whisper.

_"Do not despair, child of darkness."_

Ena sat bolt upright, but for some reason wasn't afraid of the voice.

"Who's there?" she called into the emptiness.

_"You have met the trees,"_ the same type of gentle voice came again, but this one a little deeper. _"You have met the waters. We are the _final_ element in the Copais valley."_

"What are you?" Ena asked curiously.

_"We are the air,"_ the first voice said, and Ena could hear the smile. _"And we will explain everything."_

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Leo was shoved roughly into a large, green clearing.

He landed on his hands and knees, scraping them slightly. He blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings in the dim light. _A grassy hill? _

Suddenly, something large was shoved into him, and he was knocked onto his side.

"Sorry, Leo," Percy apologized, helping his friend up.

"What is this?" Leo wondered out loud, glancing around. They were standing in a large, green clearing, surrounded on one side with dark trees, with a river on the other side.

"I dunno," Percy answered. "This is weird. Why didn't the creepy trees take Ena?"

"Don't ask me, man," Leo shrugged. "We need to find a way to get back to her."

"Lets try this way," Percy said, heading towards the forest. The minute he stepped out of the clearing, a branch came out of nowhere and smacked him backwards.

"What the-?"

Percy stumbled away, surprised.

"Let's try the river side," Leo suggested, and they headed to the other half.

Leo tried to step into the flowing river, but as soon as he touched the surface a ten foot wall of water rose up, blocking his way.

"So what, we're trapped here?" Leo asked, annoyed.

_"No,"_ came a bubbling whisper from the river, and the demigods froze.

_"Warrior,"_ a dry voice whispered from the other side of the clearing.

_"Ours," _the river side hissed.

_"Ours,"_ the forest snapped back.

Leo and Percy backed into the center of the grass, keeping as much distance between themselves and the forest and the river.

A watery arm snaked out of the river and slithered through the grass towards Leo. At the same time, a cluster of tree roots crept up the hill towards Percy.

Before the boys could get away, the water had wrapped itself around Leo and was dragging him towards the river. The tree roots encircled Percy and pulled him into the forest.

"Leo, stay calm!" Percy called, not sounding very calm himself. "We'll be fine!"

"Be careful!" Leo shouted back, not sure if they would see each other again.

They were each pulled out of each other's sight.

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Percy found himself surrounded by a group of very hostile trees.

He never thought he'd have to describe trees as _hostile, _but when you're a demigod, there's a first time for everything.

"Uh, Mr. Tree?" Percy asked hesitantly. "Could you, maybe, undo my handcuffs?" He lifted his bound wrists up towards the old tree, but the tree seemed to glare.

After a long moment, though, the restraints on his wrists snaked off and retreated into the ground.

"Thanks?" Percy said, rubbing his raw wrists.

_"I am not 'Mr. Tree,'"_ the tree crackled disapprovingly._ "I am Eade."_

"Sorry, uh, Eade," Percy apologized.

_"You are our warrior,"_ Eade said slowly, and Percy blinked.

"Okay?"

_"You will fight for us,"_ another tree said, creeping closer.

"Who are you?" Percy asked, wondering if they all had names.

_"I was called Jorgen," _the tree said thoughtfully, after a long pause.

"Are you _still_ called Jorgen?" Percy questioned.

_"Perhaps."_

"What do you want me to do?" Percy asked.

_"Destroy our enemy," _Eade said simply. _"Get rid of it."_

"_Who _is the enemy?" Percy asked, his trepidation growing with each question.

_"The river," _Eade barked out, and Jorgen and the rest of the trees moaned and hissed._ "You must destroy the river. Turn it's current out of the valley. _Destroy _it."_

Percy's brow furrowed. "Why?"

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"Where are you?" Ena asked, frowning and looking around, seeing no one. "Do you have names?"

_"I'm Aurora,"_ the first breezy voice said, and materialized into the hazy outline of a girl, about 15 years old, with long, silvery hair.

_"And my name is Erion,"_ the second voice of the wind said, also materializing. This time, the form was a boy, around 18, also with silvery hair.

"Wh-where did you come from?" Ena asked, looking them over. They weren't quite solid, and seemed to be floating instead of standing.

_"We are the cursed citizens of the Copais Valley,"_ Aurora began to explain, _"and we are on the brink of war."_

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Meanwhile, Leo was soaking wet.

"Do I have to sit in the water?" Leo complained, after trying to stand up, and realizing the water seemed to have a hold on him. "Can't I sit on the shore?"

_"No!" _the river bubbled. _"Why would you want to be on the nasty earth? The water is cool and free!"_

"And _wet_," Leo emphasized. "I'm not good with wet."

_"Fine,"_ another voice in the river sighed, and he was gently lifted onto shore, though two tendrils of water were still wrapped around his ankles.

_"Fire-Child,"_ the first river's voice said, and Leo gave the water a confused look.

"Uh, River-Girl?" he responded.

The river bubbled, and a girl's watery figure rose out of the current. _"Kailani."_

"Bless you," Leo tried.

_"Kailani is her _name,_"_ the second voice corrected, and another water form appeared. _"Mine is Tallulah."_

"Nice to meet you, ladies," Leo said, raising his eyebrows as he noticed they were both very pretty.

_"You are our warrior," _Kailani sparkled, and Leo coughed.

"I'm not good with a sword," he interjected. "Or a bow and arrow. Or a knife. Or any weapons, for that matter."

_"But you can burn,"_ Kailani said excitedly. _"You must burn them for us!"_

"_What_ do I have to burn?" Leo asked.

_"The trees! The horrible, wicked forest!"_ Tallulah wailed, and Leo felt a shiver run up his spine.

"Why?"

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"_You're _the cursed citizens?" Ena repeated, and Erion nodded.

_"We were cursed into nature spirits,"_ he explained._ "We've been here ever since Gyges committed his terrible deeds. And, ever since, we've been warring."_

"_Who's_ been warring?" Ena asked.

_"The forest and the river spirits,"_ Aurora said sadly._ "They want war, because they both think the others are to blame for us being stuck here. They think that if they can defeat the others, then somehow we will be released and can find our ways to the underworld."_

"Why won't that work?" Ena asked.

_"The Ring of Gyges is the only thing that can release us," _Erion explained. _"The Ring is what trapped us here when Gyges used it for evil, and the Ring is what must be used to undo the curse."_

"How can the ring release these people?" Ena wondered.

_"It has to be used in an unselfish act,"_ Erion continued._ "Only someone with an unselfish spirit can overturn the curse. The Ring must be used for good."_

_"None of us can touch it," _Aurora cut in,_ "otherwise we'd have released ourselves centuries ago. We need a demigod hero, and since you're the first to appear in decades, I believe you are our hero."_

"I can only try," Ena said, hoping she was right.

_"Come,"_ Erion said._ "We will take you to the Ring."_

He held out a hand, and Ena took it. Erion pulled her to her feet, and he and Aurora floated off, Ena close behind.

Suddenly, a strong breeze started blowing, as forceful as the winds of a hurricane.

_"Hurry, we need to hide her!"_ Aurora exclaimed urgently to Erion.

"Wh-what's that? What's going on?" Ena asked frantically.

Erion scooped her up, which felt more like floating than being carried. _"Our air-spirit relatives are not as eager to help you as we are," _he said grimly, as he flew her through the air, speeding away from the rapidly swirling winds. _"We must hide you from them."_

Ena shivered as she looked back over Erion's cloudy shoulder to see the violent winds swarming.

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**A/N**

**Hope you liked this chapter:) Thanks for reading!  
Please review:)**

**Xoxoxo,**

**EmMarie**


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